Children's Fashion... please help!

[Southern Peach]

My husband and I are expecting our own little bundle of joy in Early October, and I'm very excited to start making and sewing reenacting clothes for it but I'm unsure of where to start. Can anyone point me to a book, website, article, newspaper, anything really, that would help? Many thanks! (if you help I'll name the baby after you. LOL! I'm joking of course.)

 

[captaindrew]

Congratulations! Do you know yet boy or girl? Are you looking for civilian children's clothes or military? There are certainly many family portraits to get an idea of style. I'll definitely keep an eye out while browsing around for children's things.

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

Congratulations! Keep in mind that boy or girl, infants and toddlers were put in dresses to facilitate the diapering and potty training. Not sure how far you are willing to go with this Best of luck!

 

[Southern Peach]

Congratulations! Do you know yet boy or girl? Are you looking for civilian children's clothes or military? There are certainly many family portraits to get an idea of style. I'll definitely keep an eye out while browsing around for children's things.

I didn't know there was a difference! We're civilians, so I should start there.

 

[captaindrew]

I didn't know there was a difference! We're civilians, so I should start there.

I'll keep an eye out. I was asking because I have seen period photos of boys with military outfits, it was a very patriotic time. I browse around all the sutlers sites all the time. I'll be on the lookout for kids stuff. In the meantime there's tons of period photos to give you some ideas if you search around looking at family portraits and such.

 

[lupaglupa]

I'll second what @Reconstructed Rebel said - young children's clothing was definitely not gendered, especially at-home clothes. Simple smocks that were easy to wash were what most infants wore. Think of christening gowns you've seen in a very undecorated style.

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

I found this picture on the LOC website. The baby's name is George. This is a nice range of clothing I think.

This link may give you a better look at it - you can zoom in.

[Civil War veteran George W. Warner of Co. B, 20th Connecticut Infantry Regiment with his wife, Katherine, and six children, Alice, Charles, George, Ettie, William, and Ruby in front of painted backdrop showing trees]

1 photograph : albumen print on card mount ; mount 6 x 10 cm. | Photograph shows portrait of identified Union veteran, who lost both arms at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863, and his family.

www.loc.gov

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

On an unrelated note: I really love this picture. The children are all leaning in and touching each other and their parents. You can tell there is a lot of family bonding and love surrounding this soldier.

 

[lupaglupa]

I found this picture on the LOC website. The baby's name is George. This is a nice range of clothing I think.

View attachment 442318
This link may give you a better look at it - you can zoom in.

[Civil War veteran George W. Warner of Co. B, 20th Connecticut Infantry Regiment with his wife, Katherine, and six children, Alice, Charles, George, Ettie, William, and Ruby in front of painted backdrop showing trees]

1 photograph : albumen print on card mount ; mount 6 x 10 cm. | Photograph shows portrait of identified Union veteran, who lost both arms at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863, and his family.

www.loc.gov

And these are their 'Sunday best' clothes

 

[Tennessee Union Gal]

Congratulations! Keep in mind that boy or girl, infants and toddlers were put in dresses to facilitate the diapering and potty training. Not sure how far you are willing to go with this Best of luck!

Back in the day they had a name for that milestone in a little boy's life when he began to wear pants. It was called "breeching" and often came with a little celebration.

 

[johan_steele]

There are three children in these pics in a variety of different outfits denoting their age. My wife spent a lot of time researching childrens clothing and based the clothing on CDV's and original doll clothing she studied.

 

[johan_steele]

As a note; boys didn't wear pants until they were toilet/outhouse/pee on a tree trained.

 

[johan_steele]

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

My grandfather talked about the glorious day a boy was allowed to move up to wearing long pants and stop wearing the short pants with long stockings. I'm not sure what age or what criteria was used for that milestone, or why little boys wore short pants in the beginning anyway.

 

[lupaglupa]

My grandfather talked about the glorious day a boy was allowed to move up to wearing long pants and stop wearing the short pants with long stockings. I'm not sure what age or what criteria was used for that milestone, or why little boys wore short pants in the beginning anyway.

Another one of those little rituals that are gone. I'm just about old enough to remember having school clothes and play clothes - we changed when we got home. Nowadays everyone wears the same clothes all the time.

 

[Tennessee Union Gal]

Another one of those little rituals that are gone. I'm just about old enough to remember having school clothes and play clothes - we changed when we got home. Nowadays everyone wears the same clothes all the time.

I still have my "work clothes" and my "home clothes". Some work clothes become home clothes when they wear out.

 

[lupaglupa]

I still have my "work clothes" and my "home clothes". Some work clothes become home clothes when they wear out.

In my house we call those "painting clothes."

 

[RobertP]

Another one of those little rituals that are gone. I'm just about old enough to remember having school clothes and play clothes - we changed when we got home. Nowadays everyone wears the same clothes all the time.

Yep. We had a dress code in our public schools through high school. No jeans, collared shirts, girls had to wear dresses. It was a big deal for Mom to take us to the store and get new duds for the new school year.

 

[Locke]

I'm looking for it but I found a diary entry of an 8 year old boy bragging about how he got to wear pants a full year before his older brother did. All because he went out and shot a deer to feed the family. He sounded so smug. That was dated 1880's though. He also mentioned his sister getting whipped for putting on boys clothes to go out and play.

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

It was also a rite of passage for girls when they were allowed to wear their hair up in a bun of some sort, as opposed to letting it hang loose down their back. I believe this may have been considered an indication they were available for "courting."